Feb 17, 2022 | Politics & Society
By Jack Heinemann If the use of academic freedom did not create risk, parliament would not have needed to legislate for its protection. But that risk should not be shouldered by Wiles and Hendy, or anyone else, alone. Two high-profile University of Auckland academics...
Dec 7, 2021 | Politics & Society
By Matheson Russell Institutional autonomy and the right to critically question are essential if universities are to be reliable sources of knowledge and expertise for society at large. The news last week that University of Auckland public health researcher Simon...
Jun 20, 2021 | Politics & Society, Science & Technology
By Nathalie Collins Jacinda Ardern is calling for ‘ethical algorithms’ to combat online extremism. What does this mean? New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has called for “ethical algorithms” to help stop online radicalisation. She made her call on the weekend...
May 27, 2021 | Arts & Culture, Politics & Society
By Paul Spoonley We can expect a lot of sound and fury as we start to debate the hate speech provisions that will be aired soon. But hopefully, we can also have an informed debate about the nature of hate, including what occurs online, and the impacts of this on...
Jul 7, 2020 | Politics & Society, Referee
By Jihoon Sung Despite all the debates and discussions, the pandemic continues to ravage humanity and the fake news phenomenon continues to deceive some people. On May 3, 2020, the world marked the World Press Freedom Day, paying tribute to journalists of the world...
Nov 12, 2018 | Politics & Society
Banned books, defamation suits, de-platformed public figures, alt-righters without a venue: is there a crisis of free speech in New Zealand? And what exactly is free speech: a necessary guarantee of democracy or a misused threat to the common good? On September 10,...
Jul 12, 2018 | Politics & Society
Politics in places like the US has become increasingly hostile and uncivil, say scholars. Language often vilifies citizens and lawmakers. But people overwhelmingly dislike the incivility and have expressed shame at its effect on policy debates. What are the effects of...
May 31, 2018 | Politics & Society
By Maddie McMahon The Global Anticorruption Blog’s Maddie McMahon looks at Malaysia’s new anti-fake news bill and whether it could set dangerous new precedents in the country. Since at least 2016, complaints about “fake news” have become increasingly...